PEORIA – After a year without 50-yard football, Peoria will see the Peoria Pirates – contenders in three separate leagues — combatants for championships in two of those leagues, winners of a total of two championships – set sail for more championship trophies beginning in March 2008.

The Pirates will rejoin arenafootball2, the developmental league of the Arena Football League, and a body the team belonged to from 2001-2004, while owned, first, by Orlando Predators Entertainment, the group that owns AFL’s Orlando Predators, and then by Peoria banker Pat Ward.

The man who will patrol the Pirates’ sidelines was considered hometown hero material in his putting championships together, too. Bruce Cowdrey, whose last football address was AFL’s Austin Wranglers, as an assistant coach, will return as the Pirates’ head coach.

He last coached here in 2005 while Peoria had a team named the Rough Riders in the United Indoor Football League. That 2005 Rough Riders squad went 6-9.

Cowdrey exited Peoria after that, heading for AFL’s Chicago Rush in 2006 as special teams coordinator/fullbacks-linebackers coach on head coach Mike Hohensee’s staff. The Rush won AFL’s ArenaBowl trophy in Las Vegas in 2006. Before the 2007 season, Cowdrey moved on from there, to become offense line coach for AFL’s Austin Wranglers.

Austin finished this season 4-12, but Cowdrey finished ahead because Wranglers’ President Doug MacGregor showed interest in helping put a team in Peoria with Cowdrey back at the controls as head coach.

Media reports from Austin also indicated that MacGregor was looking to downshift the Wranglers from membership in AFL to af2 in 2008 because of declining attendance.

MacGregor can own more than one team in af2, under league rules, so long as, among other caveats, the two same owned teams do not trade players among themselves.

When they return, the Pirates will find themselves, most likely, in the league’s American Conference Midwest Division among old foes like the Quad City Steamwheelers, Green Bay Blizzard, and Louisville Fire; while contending with this season’s newcomers, the Fort Wayne Fusion, and Cincinnati Jungle Kats.

Numbers Game: The Pirates ruled the Indoor Football League, now defunct, in the league’s debut year, 1999, and sophomore season, 2000. But they lost IFL’s first championship game, 63-60, to the Green Bay Bombers before a capacity crowd at Carver Arena.

The Pirates earned their first and only IFL trophy in 2000, beating the expansion Bismarck (N. D.) Blaze, 63-42, capping a perfect 17-0 season under Cowdrey.

In November 2000, IFL’s creator, Keary Ecklund, sold the league to OPE. OPE kept but a few of IFL’s teams for expansion into af2, including the Pirates.

While owned by OPE, starting in 2001, and watching players adapt to af2 rules from IFL rules, the Pirates had a new coach, their 2000 season quarterback, Gary Porter, and squeaked through mathematically missing the playoffs at 7-9. Cowdrey had a frustrating 2000 season with af2’s Pensacola Barracudas, a team that went 5-11, then folded.

OPE reassigned Porter to another team it owned in 2002, and brought Cowdrey back to Peoria. OPE and Pirates fans got their money’s worth – the team went 11-5 in the regular season, and won four straight playoff games including a 65-47 win over the Florida Firecats at Carver Arena.

But there was to be no repeat in 2003, as Cowdrey’s crew went 5-11.

By the Winter of 2004, and with OPE financially floundering and looking for a buyer for its flagship, Pat Ward, president of Peoria’s SouthSide Bank, stepped in and bought the team from OPE.

One might think Ward’s doing that in an even-numbered year was good karma, as even years seem to favor this coach. Proof of that was Peoria getting back to the ArenaCup in 2004, but the result was not the same against the same Florida Firecats, this time in Florida. The Firecats beat the Pirates, 39-26, closing 2004 out at 12-8, including a 9-7 regular season mark.

In that offseason, Peoria switched leagues a third time, going with an untested product, the United Indoor Football Association, becoming one of 11 founding UIF members.

But because af2 purchased the entire IFL, it retained the rights to keep the Pirates team name, forcing Ward to find a new name for his team. A name-the-team contest finalist, the Peoria Rough Riders, was settled on.

But product, somewhat like the new team name, was not a fan favorite. Under Cowdrey, the Rough Riders went 6-9 in 2005, last, in their three-team division.

While Cowdrey moved on to AFL ‘s Chicago Rush in 2006, the Rough Riders, under new head coach Chuck Goodwin, struggled but finished with an 0-15 record before just hundreds of fans per game.

Ward elected to fold the team in November, 2006, and indoor football fans had no 2007 season as a result.

Squib Kicks: When Peoria gets ready for its first contest with Quad City next season, management will have to give former owner Ward a call to see where the bragging rights trophy the Pirates and Steamwheelers fought for claim of and kept until the next contest between them – the “Ruler Of The River” trophy – is physically right now.

The Pirates-Steamwheelers series is tied at 4-4, and the trophy is in Peoria’s guardianship — a result of a 29-13 win on enemy turf at The Mark in Moline on July 2, 2004.

NORMAL – Normal Unit 5’s school expansion plan boils down to three words: Expanding and refurbishing.

Building a 900-student middle school and refurbish Sugar Creek Elementary are the primary goals Unit 5 would like to see done in order to accommodate a growing school population while at the same time, hold off having to do renovations or new construction until 2015.

The board is expected to vote in September whether to build a new elementary school and a middle school, as well as to expand Sugar Creek Elementary. That vote could lead to a referendum in February to ask voters if they want to see the district spend between $100 million-$120 million for new school construction.

Board member John Puzauskas, who serves on the district’s architectural services committee, told the board that while new school construction and renovation at Sugar Creek are part of the district’s plans, there is no agreement to expand Normal Community West High School.

Fall Enrollment Numbers Up: As the 2007-08 school year starts, Unit 5 has a 3.31 percent increase in enrollment, the board learned.

A total of 12,479 students enrolled in its 15 grand schools, three middle schools, and two high schools are starting the year in Unit 5, said John W. Pye, the district’s Assistant Superintendent of Operations and Human Resources.

The elementary schools saw a total enrollment of 6,026 students to start the year – an increase of just over 2 percent from last year. However, even with that increase, two of the schools, Brigham and Fairview, saw population drops from the beginning of school last year.

Brigham is starting the year with 356 students, down 55 students from a year ago, while Fairview is starting the year with 346 students, down 93 students from last year.

At the junior high level, Kingsley Junior High saw the largest growth, with a population of 1,009 students to start the year, an increase of 21 students over last year. Chiddix Junior High saw a 15-student increase, putting its 2007-08 starting population at 889 students. Parkside Junior High saw just nine new students change its numbers over last year, giving it a total population of 884.

The three junior highs have a total population increase of 1.64 percent over last year.

The two high schools, Normal Community and Normal West, combined, increased their populations by 6.8 percent. A total of 233 new students entered the two schools. But it only took two new students to change NCHS’ figures to 1,838 students, while Normal West added 231 students to increase its population to 1,833 students.

Emergency Bus Replacement Approved: The board also approved the purchase of a 26-passenger wheelchair bus to replace one involved in an Aug. 17 accident.

Pye said the lease/purchasing agreement would be to obtain the bus at a cost of $12,704.

Pye said the bus was in accident at the intersection of Linden St. and Northtown Rd. and that there were no students on the bus. Neither the driver-in-training nor his trainer were injured, but the driver-in-training was issued a citation by police.

Teacher Mentoring Program Discussed: The district offers a teacher mentoring program for new teachers, both new to the profession and new to Unit 5 prior to the new school year.

The program lasts for three days and includes a tour of all Unit 5 schools, explained Kurt Swearingen, Unit 5’s director of elementary education. Swearingen, along with Dr. Dawn Green, director of secondary education for the district, presented a report to the board.

A total of 81 new teachers took part in this year’s event.

Swearingen said the tour of all district buildings takes four hours and is meant to show teachers who may only work in one building that “there is a world outside the building they work in.

“We want to show them where the buildings are,” Swearingen said. “They got an appreciation for the expanse of the district.”

Dr. Green said the program is also designed to have the new teachers seek out mentors in each of the buildings they work with.

District’s Good News: The board heard two “Good News” items during the meeting. The first was to congratulate five district employees for having won the 2007 Grand Challenge Award For Video Conferencing, awarded by the University of Illinois.

The award is presented for educators who demonstrate great leadership and development of videoconferencing.

The award recipients are: Michelle Glatt and David Schumacher (both of Chiddix Junior High), Kari Hennenfent and Pam Isaacs (both of Kingsley Junior High), and Rita Gyires, from the district technology office.

The other good news item also came from the district’s technological staff, as Rick Hopener and Woody Morton were recognized for installing 56 smartboards and projectors in classrooms between May and August.

Graduation At The Coliseum: The graduations for NCHS and NCWHS have outgrown being held in Illinois State’s Braden Auditorium, according to superintendent Dr. Gary Niehaus. Beginning with the Class of 2008, the graduation ceremonies for both schools will move to the U. S. Cellular Coliseum in downtown Bloomington.

The class of 2008 will graduate of May 31, with Normal West’s ceremony taking place at 2p.m. Normal Community’s ceremony will take place at 6p.m.

Board Meeting Date Changes Approved: The board unanimously approved to change the dates of a few of their meetings, primarily because the scheduled meeting dates fall during district holidays.

As a result, the board voted not to meet on Dec. 26 (during Christmas break), or on March 26, 2008 (during Spring break). In addition, the board moved the dates of meetings that would have fallen during the Christmas holiday period. The board moved their January meetings back one week each, and will meet on Jan. 16 and Jan. 30, 2008.

NORMAL – For the second straight year, Tremont was facing Ridgeview again to open their football season. Last year, the Mustangs pushed the Turks into double-overtime to achieve victory.

Friday, it only took the last quarter of play, as Ridgeview defeated the Turks in the first Heart of Illinois Conference contest of the season for both sides, 10-9, before 400 fans at Hancock Stadium on the Illinois State campus.

Although neither side scored in the first quarter, and while they await a new stadium in their community, Tremont showed they felt at home here by scoring first on a 7-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Bo Van Rheeden to senior tight end Michael Galat with 20 seconds left until halftime, putting the Turks up, 6-0.

Although the Turks were able to score, senior kicker Luke Hansen’s point-after sailed away from the uprights. The score punctuated an 11-play, 61 yard march that chewed 4:20 off the clock.

Following that score by Tremont (0-1), and the Mustangs starting at their own 26, Ridgeview junior quarterback Derek Powell’s first throw after the kickoff was intercepted by Tremont senior linebacker Adam Hodgson, who dodged through Ridgeview players to get to the Mustangs’ 25 yard line.

Hansen increased Tremont’s lead at the half from there, to 9-0, with a 35-yard field goal.

Ridgeview’s defense showed a renewed aggressiveness when the third quarter opened. Although Tremont returned the third quarter opening kickoff to their own 46, the Turks’ first set of downs from there netting negative yards as Ridgeview defenders ripped through Tremont’s offensive line and in the three plays they had before punting, pushed back Tremont 7 yards.

It was a defensive performance that kept Tremont from scoring while Ridgeview failed, themselves, to put points on the board in the third quarter.

The fourth quarter, however, was another story.

Powell scored from a yard out with 9:55 left in the contest, capping a 4-play, 41 yard stretch, pulling the Mustangs within two, 9-7.

The last of five fumbles by the Turks on the night allowed the Mustangs to push ahead, starting on the Tremont 20, and although Tremont kept the Ridgeview offense in check, Mustangs junior kicker Jordan Ayers was able to kick a 30-yard field goal to put Ridgeview ahead for the last time on the night.

In the closing seconds of the game, having marched from deep inside own territory, Tremont did get to Ridgeview 34 yard line with 9.7 seconds left in the game, and hustled Hansen onto the field for what they hoped would be a game-winning field goal.

Hansen’s kick was deep enough, but literally dropped right in front of the crossbar as the clock expired.

“The kids, in the second half, just played well,” said Ridgeview head coach Mike Benton. “We didn’t turn the ball over. We made a few mistakes, but for the most part, we kept the ball in their territory. Our kids played a great game, (but) Tremont has a great football team there.”

Benton admitted his play selection early on could have been part of the problem his team had early in the game, but that his team but, that by the second half, his team returned to doing some plays they use regularly.

After getting the Mustangs’ first win under their belt, Benton said he and his players “felt great.”

He said part of the reason for that is because, as Benton explained it, “No one expected us to do anything (this season).

“No one expected us to win this game and (our players) were the only ones who thought we could win it,” Benton said. “Our kids really played well.”

For Ridgeview, Powell was 8-for-18 passing for 84 yards. Powell sent most passes in the direction of senior end Casey Heimer, who led all receivers with 3 catches for 43 yards. Junior fullback Tim Vandegraft was the Mustangs’ lead rusher with 47 yards on 12 carries.

“(I told the kids that) we have got to learn how to win games,” Tremont head coach Lou Wicks said. “We got up by 9 and we felt real good about ourselves. But we didn’t battle like we needed to, as though it were going to be a tight game.”

Tremont used both quarterbacks available to them – senior Ryan Chounard and Van Rheeden. Chounard was 5-for-7 for 52 yards, while Van Rheeden was 2-for-6 for 23 yards, throwing one interception.

Tremont senior running back Jordan Thompson led the Turks in rushing with 35 yards rushing.

NORMAL – For the second straight year, Tremont was facing Ridgeview again to open their football season. Last year, the Mustangs pushed the Turks into double-overtime to achieve victory.

Friday, it only took the last quarter of play, as Ridgeview defeated the Turks in the first Heart of Illinois Conference contest of the season for both sides, 10-9, before 400 fans at Hancock Stadium on the Illinois State campus.

Although neither side scored in the first quarter, and while they await a new stadium in their community, Tremont showed they felt at home here by scoring first on a 7-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Bo Van Rheeden to senior tight end Michael Galat with 20 seconds left until halftime, putting the Turks up, 6-0.

Although the Turks were able to score, senior kicker Luke Hansen’s point-after sailed away from the uprights. The score punctuated an 11-play, 61 yard march that chewed 4:20 off the clock.

Following that score by Tremont (0-1), and the Mustangs starting at their own 26, Ridgeview junior quarterback Derek Powell’s first throw after the kickoff was intercepted by Tremont senior linebacker Adam Hodgson, who dodged through Ridgeview players to get to the Mustangs’ 25 yard line.

Hansen increased Tremont’s lead at the half from there, to 9-0, with a 35-yard field goal.

Ridgeview’s defense showed a renewed aggressiveness when the third quarter opened. Although Tremont returned the third quarter opening kickoff to their own 46, the Turks’ first set of downs from there netting negative yards as Ridgeview defenders ripped through Tremont’s offensive line and in the three plays they had before punting, pushed back Tremont 7 yards.

It was a defensive performance that kept Tremont from scoring while Ridgeview failed, themselves, to put points on the board in the third quarter.

The fourth quarter, however, was another story.

Powell scored from a yard out with 9:55 left in the contest, capping a 4-play, 41 yard stretch, pulling the Mustangs within two, 9-7.

The last of five fumbles by the Turks on the night allowed the Mustangs to push ahead, starting on the Tremont 20, and although Tremont kept the Ridgeview offense in check, Mustangs junior kicker Jordan Ayers was able to kick a 30-yard field goal to put Ridgeview ahead for the last time on the night.

In the closing seconds of the game, having marched from deep inside own territory, Tremont did get to Ridgeview 34 yard line with 9.7 seconds left in the game, and hustled Hansen onto the field for what they hoped would be a game-winning field goal.

Hansen’s kick was deep enough, but literally dropped right in front of the crossbar as the clock expired.

“(I told the kids that) we have got to learn how to win games,” Tremont head coach Lou Wicks said. “We got up by 9 and we felt real good about ourselves. But we didn’t battle like we needed to, as though it were going to be a tight game.”

Tremont used both quarterbacks available to them – senior Ryan Chounard and Van Rheeden. Chounard was 5-for-7 for 52 yards, while Van Rheeden was 2-for-6 for 23 yards, throwing one interception.

Tremont senior running back Jordan Thompson led the Turks in rushing with 35 yards rushing.

For Ridgeview, Powell was 8-for-18 passing for 84 yards. Powell sent most passes in the direction of senior end Casey Heimer, who led all receivers with 3 catches for 43 yards. Junior fullback Tim Vandegraft was the Mustangs’ lead rusher with 47 yards on 12 carries.

“The kids, in the second half, just played well,” said Ridgeview head coach Mike Benton. “We didn’t turn the ball over. We made a few mistakes, but for the most part, we kept the ball in their territory. Our kids played a great game, (but) Tremont has a great football team there.”

NORMAL – The Normal Town Council, during its regular Monday session at City Hall, voted, by a 6-1 count, to table until early next year the passing on a trio of items related to the Oaks on Hovey townhouse development.

City staff reported that the land must be rezoned from being considered family residential to mixed residential because college students, families with children, and seniors make up the groups of people who reside at the complex.

And that, it appears in light of developer Jeff Tinervin’s want to expand the property, is where the council has been alerted to problems between the groups living there.

Tinervin addressed the council, seeking a positive vote to rezone 2.65 acres of land so that he can add 6 new buildings to the property.

Tinervin is looking to put six new townhouses, made up of 30 four-bedroom units, and adding 100 parking spaces.

The Oaks On Hovey already has 14 townhouses. The addition Tinervin wants to make would, when completed, give The Oaks On Hovey a total of 100 four-bedroom units and 380 parking spaces.

Council member Cheryl Gaines told Tinervin that area residents “see lifestyles at odds” between the three groups.

Gaines said she has received reports from residents of security issues at the complex.

Tinervin said security works the grounds from 9p.m.-3:30a.m., and works with student residents to make sure they are aware of consequences of unruly behavior.

Tinervin said student residents who disturb their neighbors are visited by security for a first offense in addition to receiving a letter from management, receive a second letter for a second offense, and, if there is a third infraction, face eviction.

Tinervin pledged to the council to work with Normal Police and to evict troublesome tenants.

To a question by council member Jason Chambers, Tinervin said he has not had to evict any tenants based on complaints made by their neighbors. Chambers voted in lone opposition to tabling the issue.

Among the more tense moments during the discussion came when council member Adam Nielsen asked Tinervin if he would be willing to scale back the development of the project. Currently, Tinervin’s plans would mean The Oaks On Hovey would grow by 43 percent.

Neilsen asked Tinervin if “(Tinervin) could live with expanding the property to just half of what is proposed for development)?”

Tinervin’s reply to Neilsen was a sharp “no.”

In discussion before the council’s vote, Mayor Chris Koos said, “I have a level of confidence in Mr. Tinervin and in what he says he can do (about the situation). This is a situation we can never control.”

“When it comes to student complexes near single family units, you have to be flexible,” Neilsen said. “I haven’t heard (about flexibility) tonight.”

Council member Sonja Reece said that neighbors need to stay involved in their community to help the situation to improve. “Let’s try to figure out what the council, Mr. Tinervin, and Normal Police can all do to make the situation better,” she added.

Following the meeting, City Manager Mark Peterson said city staff will be responsible for researching what, if anything, has changed between the neighbors between now and when the council takes the matter up again in January.

“By tabling this, the council is saying, ‘we’re still willing to consider the development as proposed, (but) we’re not making any guarantees,'” Peterson said.

Proclamation Issued: Prior to the start of the meeting, Koos read a proclamation recognizing one of Normal’s oldest institutions which, after a century, is disbanding.

About 20 members of the Women’s Improvement League were in council chambers as Koos read a proclamation honoring the League for its efforts to improve the community over the years.

Begun in 1907, among the League’s accomplishments in its century of existence were the planting of thousands of trees throughout the community and lobbying for a train station for the town.

The proclamation declared Aug. 21, 2007 to be “Women’s Improvement League Day” in the Town of Normal.

Sweetcorn Festival Starts Saturday: It may have a more official title – The Sweetcorn Blues Festival – but many know it simply as “Corn Fest.” And on Saturday, for the 19th straight year, the annual late Summer event kicks off for two days, consisting of music, crafts, and food, particularly corn.

As in past years, the Fest will run between the North St./Fell Ave. intersection and the Constitution Trail. The town’s other Summer staple, the Sugar Creek Arts Festival in July, was reworked in light of construction projects on both North St. and Fell Ave.

Peterson said no such issues exist with the Sweetcorn Festival.

Omnibus Agenda Approved: Among the omnibus agenda items the council approved were:

 Accepting a bid in the amount of $56,075.63 from Novanis Co. for the purchase of Core Network Infrastructure Equipment.

 Approving a motion to authorize a reimbursement to Steinbach, Inc. in the amount of $17,936 for electrical service on Block E in Uptown Normal and approving the necessary budget adjustment. Block E includes the Medici Restaurant, currently being constructed.

 Approving a resolution authorizing the honorary designation of a portion of Gregory St. as D. A. Weibring Boulevard. A formal ceremony the designation is slated for Sept. 7.

 Approving a resolution authorizing execution of an agreement with Chestnut Global Partners for Employee Assistance Program services.

 Approving a resolution authorizing execution of an intergovernmental agreement with Illinois State University pertaining to fire protection service.

 Approving a resolution accepting a warranty deed from University Christian Church for a portion of the property located at 206 W. North St. in the amount of $10,000.